Telangana effect: 4 ministers at Centre, 8 Congress MPs to resign en masse, protests continue in AP

New Delhi/Hyderabad, Aug 2: Four ministers at the Centre, including Human Resource Development minister M Pallam Raju, and eight Congress MPs have decided to resign en masse in protest over the Centre's decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh. A three-hour-long meeting was held here at the residence of Rajya Sabha MPK V Ramachandra Rao, where the decision was taken. The ministers and MPs will meet in Parliament House today and are expected to tender their resignations. Their names are: Lagadapat Rajagopal , Kanumuri Bapiraju, Sai Pratap, Vundavalli, Anantha Venkata Rami Reddy, Harsha Kumar, J D Seelam, Purandeswari, Killi Krupa Rani, M Pallam Raju, KVP Rama Chandra Rao , Magunta Srinivas Reddy. Meanwhile, angry protesters in Anantapur knocked off a statue of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, pro-united Andhra supporter students sat on 72-hour hunger strike in Visakhapatnam and people resorted to 'rasta roko' in Krishna district to protest the Centre's decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh and create a separate Telangana state. In Delhi, the ruling Congress party made it clear that Telangana was now a settled issue and there was no scope for reconsideration, even as legislators in Andhra Pradesh today resigned en masse in protest. Protests rocked Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions for the second day on Thursday with united Andhra supporters taking out rallies and preventing public transport buses from plying.Protests were reported in the districts of Krishna, East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Kadapa and Anantapur. While the hunger strike launched by students in Visakhaptnam at Andhra university entered the third day on Thursday, lawyers refrained from attending courts on Thursday also as a part of their 72-hour boycott in Visakhapatnam and other districts as well.Some pro-united Andhra outfits have been observing a 72-hour shut down at places like Visakhapatnam. Government-run RTC sources said they were operating in the city and long route bus services since morning and there was no damage to the vehicles in the district since Wednesday.On Thursday. Educational institutions and commercial establishments remained shut at several places, reports reaching here said. Protests were held outside the offices and residences of some public representatives demanding their resignation to mount pressure on the Centre.At least three policemen were injured when they were pelted with stones by protesters in Anantapur town on Wednesday.Apart from incidents of stone throwing at police and some government offices in Anantapur town and damage to statues besides rallies and demonstrations (during the bandh), the situation was peaceful in other parts of Seemandhra on Wednesday.Central paramilitary forces and state police were deployed in large numbers for the three-phase Gram Panchayat elections that concluded on Wednesday. In Visakhapatnam, a bandh called by the Samaikyandhra (united AP) Student Joint Action Committee and others protesting against the pro-Telangana decision of the Congress evoked a partial response with minor incidents reported on Thursday.Except private and government schools, normal life was not affected as government offices, banks and business establishments functioned as usual, though government and private schools, as well as colleges under Andhra university remained closed for the second day.Road Transport Corporation sources said that it operated city and long route services since morning and there was no damage to buses in the district since Wednesday. However, some shops and commercial establishments voluntarily closed their shutters.Meanwhile, a hunger strike launched by students' joint action committee leader Lagudu last night at Mahatma Gandhi statute at the Andhra University entered the third day on Thursday and student leaders organised a rally in Andhra university demanding that the central government reverse its decision.At Narsipatnam, nearly 20,000 students organised a human chain expressing their displeasure over the formation of Telangana. Lawyers also boycotted courts as part of their 72-hour boycott, demanding that central government to keep Andhra Pradesh united.Students' joint action committee and NGO organisations staged a dharna today and demanded the resignations of AP state minister for infrastructure and investments Ganta Srinivasa Rao and state AP tribal welfare Minster P. Balaraju. In all, 12 activists were taken into custody by the police. According to police, the situation was peaceful and no untoward incidents were reported so far on Thursday.In East Godavari district, a bandh called by Samaikyandhra (united AP) activists continued for the second day today, with some minor incidents of damage of buses and demonstrations in front of political party offices, according to a report from Rajahmundry.The shut down led to increase in water levels of river Godavari at Dowleswaram barrage since irrigation officials were not allowed to enter the Dowleswaram irrigation circle office, an officer said, though the district administration is taking steps to monitor water levels at Dowleswaram barrage.Roads wore a deserted look, as education, commercial, financial institutions including ATMs remained closed due to the shut down, though the police posted police pickets at vulnerable points and tightened security at residences of union ministers and political party offices.In Peddapuram, the Road Transport Corporation (RTC) was forced to suspend its services to various places in the district, RTC officials said, after agitators damaged buses. Agitators damaged glass panels of the Rajahmundry Revenue Divisional Office (RDO), demanding that Rajahmundry should be the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, as it had all infrastructure facilities including water and power.At Aryapuram, Rashtriya Praja Congress members performed satirical post-cremation rituals traditionally meant to be performed on the tenth day after a dead person is cremated, aimed at the BJP, TDP and Congress, protesting against their attitude towards bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.A state government employee of APGENCO set ablaze his four-wheeler at Rajahmundry late last night, in protest against the Congress Working Committee's decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh. On Wednesday, the lawyers' joint action committee passed resolutions demanding immediate withdrawal of paramilitary forces and abstained from appearing in courts. In Hyderabad, a minister, nine MLAs and four MLCs from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema today resigned.Minister of Infrastructure and Investment Ganta Srinivasa Rao put in his papers.The MLAs handed over their papers to the the Secretary of the Legislative Assembly, while the MLCs forwarded their letters to the Council Chairman.The MLAs who resigned are J C Diwakar Reddy, Gade Venkat Reddy, Daggubati Venkateswara Rao, Venkataramaiah, Murali Krishna, Ugranarasimha Reddy, Bangaru Usharani, K Sudhakar and C Adinarayana Reddy.The MLCs who quit are Mohammed Jani, Rudraraju Padma Raju, Gade Srinivasulu Naidu and Paladugu Venkat Rao.Though it was expected that about 30 legislators would put in their papers today, only 13 eventually did.One more MLA K Nageswara Rao claimed he had submitted his resignation to Andhra Pradesh Congress President Botsa Satyanarayana.In Delhi, Congress on Thursday asserted that the Telangana issue is settled once and for all and hoped that those opposed to the decision would accept the 'justified' decision."They will be persuaded. Some people may have reservations but the fact is also that they belong to our party. We are confident that they will be with the party on the issue finally," Congress spokesman Meem Afzal told reporters in Delhi. AICC General Secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Digvijay Singh asserted in Bhopal that the issue of Telangana has been settled once and for all. These comments came amid rising protests within the Congress from leaders belonging to Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, with several state ministers, MPs and legislators intending to quit.